Acrylic Nails

Gear of Glory

This nail art design, resembling clock gear, was styled by master nail technician Vicki Peters on her client, Lacey Jessamine. The look was originally thought up by Jessamine, who, inspired by a photograph she saw, purchased a $10 bag of 200 clock gear pieces in varying shapes and sizes on eBay.

“She found the photo we used as inspiration, so she really gets the credit,” says Peters. “You have to either love or hate Pinterest, where our clients find the images, and we nail techs try to mimic the designs they love.”

1. Apply a bronze or gold polish to the nails and let them dry. Polish the underside of the nail to match.

2. Drop of blob of orange-bronze glitter, dark gray glitter, and black polish on a tile. Tear three small pieces of makeup sponge, and with a pair of tweezers, dab each color onto the nails in random places. Let the nails dry.

3. Apply a matte, clear top coat one nail at a time.

4. Use a short makeup brush to place black pigment powder onto the wet matte top coat randomly to create a flat, antique look.

5. Pick up a very small, dry ball of clear acrylic and place it on the nail where you’d like to attach your accessory.

6. Allow the acrylic to set a bit and then with a pair of tweezers, place the accessory onto the acrylic and hold it into place until the acrylic dries and the piece is firmly attached. If a piece doesn’t lay flat, add a tiny bit more acrylic underneath to stabilize it.

7. Apply three to four pieces in random spots on each nail using the acrylic method from step six.